Air circulating duct for two-temperature refrigerator cabinets



Dec. 7, 1948. KRUCK ET A 2,455,781

AIR CIRCULATING "DUCT FOR TWO-TEMPERATURE REFRIGERATOR CABINETS FiledNov. 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheef. 1

WITNESSES: INVENTORS y RALPH E. KRucn ELuoTTE. GROVER ATTORNEY Dec. 7,1948.

AIR CIRCUL Filed NOV. 20, 1946 R. E. KRUCK ET AL REFRIGERATOR CABINETSATING DUCT FOR TWO-TEMPERATURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS RALPH E. KRLICK ELLIOTT E. Gnovsa ATTORNEY Dec. 7, 1948. I

R. E. KRUCK ETAL AIR CIRCULATING DUCT FOR TWO-TEMPERATURE Filed NOV. 20,1946 REFRIGERATOR GAB INETS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 WlTN ESSES:

INVENTORS RALPH E. Knucn ELLIOTT E. CIROVER ATTORNEY R. E. KRUCK ET ALAIR CIRCULATING-DUCT FOR TWO-TEMPERATURE Dec. 7, 1948.

REFRIGERATOR CABINETS .4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 20, 1946 WITNESSESBYg ATTORNEY Patented bee 1, 1948 AIR CIRCULA'HNG DUCT FORI'I'WO-TEM-PEBATURE REFRIGERATOR CABINETS Ralph E. Kruck .ta mm a. Grover,Springfield,

Mata, auignors to Westinghouse Electric Co:- porailon. East Pittsburgh,2a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Applieation November 20. 1940,SerialNo. 110,974

This invention relates to refrigerator cabinets 'lClaiml. (CL82-89) andmore especially to a cabinet having two-compartments maintained atdiflerent temperatures.

It is an object of the invention to provide novel air-circulating ductsin a refrigerator cabinet for cooling one of the compartments therein.It is a further object of the invention to provide novel concealingmeans for the air ducts in a refrigerator.

These and other objects are effected by our invention as will beapparent. from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a'refrigerator cabinet embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the refrigerator of this invention taken"on the line {II-II of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the refrigerator cabinet of thisinvention taken 'on the line III-III of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2. In the drawings, thereference numeral l designates a refrigerator cabinet having -a foodstorage chamber l2 in the upper portion thereof and a machinery chamberl4 in the lower portion.

The walls of the food storage chamber l2 are formed by an outer metalshell l8 and an'inner metal shell 18 with thermal insulating material 20therebetween. A cooling unit 22 is secured'to the upper wall 48 of theinner shell f8 by supports 24 and is of the type described in thecopending patent application, Serial No. 666,950,

filed on May 10, 1946, by Jules N. Saler, now Patent No. 2,450,732,granted October 5, 1948, and assigned to the assignee of thisapplication. A removable panel 26 in the upper rear wall of the outershell I6 and a similar panel 28 in the inner shell I! provide for theinsertion of the cooling unit 22 and the refrigerant tubing (not shown)through the rear wall of the cabinet III.

A defrost pan 3!! is located a spaced distance below thecooling unit 22to catch defrost water dripping therefrom. The defrost pan 30 extendssubstantially to both side walls'of the food storage chamber l2, but itsrear edge is spaced from the rear wall thereof and its front edge fromthe door 32 thereof. A sheet of heat-insulating "material 34 is locatedbelow the pan 30 to prevent condensation of moisture on the lowersurface thereof. The defrost pan3il and the sheet 24 form a horizontapartition, in the food' storagev chamber l2 dividing it into-an uppercompartment 35. comprising mainly the coolingnnit 22 at the rear edge ofthe defrost pan 30. The

damper 38 is actuated by a metal bellows 40 which communicates through atube 42 with a bulb 44 located in the ambient temperature of the cabinetIO. The bellows 40, the tube 42 and a substantial portion of the bulb 44are filled with a volatile fluid. The operation of the damper '38 ismore fully described in the patent app'ication, Serial No. 621,058,filed on October 8, 1945, by Raymond E. Tobey, and assigned to thea'ssignee ofthis application. 1

The upper portion 46 of the inner shell [8 opposite the coolin unit 22is bulged outwardly towards the outer shell It. In like manner, theupper wall 48 of the inner shell I! and the central portion of the panel22 is bulged outwardly and away from the cooling unit 22, the bulgedoutportion of the panel ,28 extending to below the sheet 34. Thesebulged-out portions permit the use of a large cooling unit which isalmost as a 22 and the front edges of the outer shell i6 adiacentthereto is closed by a panel of rigid heatinsulating material 54. Thepanel 54 overlaps the front edges of the inner shell I! adjacent thecooling unit 22 and has a central opening 55 which registers with theopen front of the cooling unit 22.= The panel 54 is forined into anoffset 58 and a rubber gasket 60 engages the edge portion of the offset58. A door 62 is so hung in the offset portion 58 of the panel 54 thatthe front surface of the door 62 is substantially flush with the frontsurface of the panel 54. The door 82 closes on the gasket 60.

The bulged-out portions of the inner shell l8 adjacent the cooling unit22 provide adequate air-circulating ducts for cooling the lowercompartment 36. These ducts are substantially concealed from view. Thedoor 52 for the cooling unit 22 is substantially as wide as the lowerfood storage compartment I and is spaced from the top wall 84 of theouter shell IS a distance equal to about the width of the breaker strip52 of the lower food storage compartment 38. This arrangement economizesspace and is pleasing to the eye. I

It will be apparent from the above that this invention provides arefrigerator cabinet having air-circulating ducts which are formed inpart by bulged-out portions in the inner shell and that these ducts areconcealed from view.

While we have shown our invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without departing from the spiritthereof.

What we claim is:

1. A refrigerator comprising an outer shell having vertical side walls,an inner metal shell within and spaced from the outer shell, the upperportion of each of the side walls of the inner shell being bulgedoutwardly to lie closer to the adjacent side walls of the outer shellthan does the lower portion of each of the side walls of the innershell,.the front of said inner shell being open, heat-insulatingmaterial in the spaces between the outer and inner shell, a cooling unitin the upper portion of the inner shell, the side walls of the coolingunit lying near but spaced from said bulged-out portions to providenarrow ducts adjacent the cooling unit, and means for closin the spacebetween the top edge and the side edges of the cooling unit at the frontthereof and the respective adjacent front edges of the inner shell.

shell being bulged outwardly to lie closer to the adjacent side walls ofthe outer shell than do the lower portions of each of the side walls ofthe inner shell, heat-insulating material in the spaces between theouter and inner shells, and a cooling unit in said upper portion of theinner shell and spaced from the walls thereof to provide anaircirculating space around the. cooling unit, said air-circulatingspace communicating with the space in the inner shell below the coolingunit.

3. A refrigerator comprising an outer metal shell having vertical sidewalls, an inner metal shell within and spaced from the outer shell, theupper portions of each of the side walls and rear wall of the innershell being bulged outwardly to lie closer respectively to the adjacentside walls and rear wall of the outer shell than do the lower portionsof each of the side walls and the rear wall of the inner shell.heat-insulating material in the spaces between the outer and the innershell and a cooling unit in said upper portion of the inner shell andspaced from the walls of the refrigerator to provide a narrowair-circulating space around the cooling unit.

metal 4. A refrigerator comprising an outer metal shell having verticalside walls, an inner'metal shell within and spaced from the outer shell,an upper portion of the side walls of the inner shell being bulgedoutwardly to lie closer to the adjacent side walls of the outer shellthan do the side walls of the lower portlonof the inner shell,heat-insulation material in the spaces between the outer and innershells, a cooling unit in the upper portion of the inner shell butspaced from the walls thereof to provide an air-circulating space aroundthe cooling unit, the front of said outer shell, said inner shell, andsaid cooling unit being open, and a heat breaker strip at the front ofsaid cabinet, said heat breaker strip closing the spaces between saidouter shell and said inner shell and also between the two side walls andthe top wall of the cooling unit and the respective adjacent portions ofthe side walls of the inner liner and the top wall thereof.

5. A refrigerator comprising insulated side, rear and top walls and avertical door forming at least a part of the front wall of saidrefrigerator, a partition in said refrigerator dividing it into upperand lower food storage compartments, said partition extendingsubstantially to said side walls, the inner surface of said side wallsbeing bulged outwardly above said partition, the upper portion of theinner surface of said rear wall being bulged outwardly to an elevationbelow that of said partition, the rear edge of said partition beingspaced from said last-mentioned bulged-out portion and the front edge ofsaid partition being spaced from said door. and a cooling unit in saidupper compartment, said cooling unit having side walls located nearbutand the top and adjacent side walls of the refrigerator,respectively.

' RALPH E. KRUCK.

ELLIOTT E. GROVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,297,581 Peltier Sept. 29, 19422,301,020 Dailey Nov. 3, 1942 2,353,861 Rosebrook -July 11, 1944

